Tree of Smoke - the name given to a ‘psy op' that might or might notbe hypothetical and might or might not be officially sanctioned - is DenisJohnson's most gripping, visionary and ambitious work to date. Set insouth-east Asia and the US, and spanning two decades, it ostensibly tellsthe story of Skip Sands, a CIA spy who may or may not be engaged inpsychological operations against the Viet Cong -- but also takes thereader on a surreal yet vivid journey, dipping in and out of characters'lives to reveal fundamental truths at the heart of the human condition